Solo Women Travelers

Thank you for sharing your insights as a solo woman traveler. While I love traveling with my husband and friends, there is a sense of freedom when I travel solo. I love being able to go where I want to go at the pace I want to travel.

While there are times it is lonely traveling by myself, over the years, I have become more adept at meeting people on the road and interesting enough have formed some great friendships. My favorite is when I was in Vietnam on a bus tour to Halong Bay from Hanoi, I met a man from Malayasia whose daughter was going away to a community college about 15 minutes from my house. I offered to be her local person (in case of emergency) and to help get her settled. That was 5 years ago and I have had dinner with him and his family in Malaysia and hosted his wife when she visited his daughter. If I was traveling with someone else, may never have even met my new friend.

A will say one thing on the safety issue since there have been so many stories in the news lately. Overall, like you I keep left people know where I am going to be, not only at home, but the hotel or B&B that I am staying. I am careful about the transportation I take. If I take a cab or ride share, I use WAZE or google maps to outline my route before I get into a vehicle to ensure we are going in the right direction and I double check that the vehicle that I am in is actually the authorized vehicle. On public transport, I am aware of my surroundings and will not travel late at night by myself. These are many of the techniques I use when traveling in the US as well as a solo traveler.

I will embrace the adventure and I will keep my hands off George :)

This might be the query you had in mind:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/solo-to-paris-1st-trip-to-europe
I love my solo travel. Impulsive trips and taking advantage of quick sales and computer pricing glitches are a lot harder to do when you need input from others....and sometimes it is only for one person.
I have found that self education provides a lot of empowerment, self confidence and the realization that 'safety' is a purely personal line in the sand. I have accepted that I have a lower level of safety concern than a good number of other travelers regardless of gender. Not cavalier about it, but certainly not something I do anything special for.
I post an Instagram photo every day for family (when I have internet). After my forays into Africa, they just assume no news is good news.

I'll send George your way, Angelina, next time I see him. It was a tough decision but I have my heart set elsewhere.

I, too, love traveling solo for the reasons you and Sandy cite. The freedom that one has traveling alone, never having to answer to anyone else and the strength and confidence gained from making all the decisions and traveling into the unknown is priceless. It's a rare freedom for women, IMO. I meet more people along the way when I'm alone. The only time I ever felt lonely was when I had a day of not feeling well in my room, otherwise, never.

I, too, have a whistle and when I'm out at night the whistle is attached to my keys and on a lanyard around my neck as I don't want to fiddle in my purse for the keys...this is assuming it is a hotel where I must key to get into the hotel, otherwise, just the whistle. I do wheel my small suitcase because I'm a lazy. I carry a purse or small backpack with my camera when out and about. When my camera stays in the room at night, I have a small purse that I pull from my camera bag. This small purse fits under my jacket so the strap is not available to grab. When I am out and about with an unknown person particularly if in their car (only women), I leave a note in my room and IM my husband and daughter, just in case. When traveling solo in transit, I have been known to wear a leg wallet or I, too, pin my extra cards into a vest, which is usually what I wear instead of sweaters, etc. Otherwise, they are just separated from other financials in my camera bag.
My family asks that I post one photo per day so they know where they can start looking for me if I disappear...they say this in semi-jest.
I'll leave George Clooney to you. I'm more the Michael Kitchener type.

Ah, yes, Foyle’s War.
Michael
He’s lovely!
Okay - we can trade sometimes ....
(Yes, Women can be as sexist as men ... almost)

I do most of those things too.
I bring a lanyard with me, then attach my apartment keys to it.
If I'm wearing pants with belt loops ,then the lanyard goes through a loop and the keys into the pocket so they are always attached to me.
I also leave a note on the table where I'm staying with my rough itinerary and times of leaving and returning for that particular day.
I also do a daily update online for friends and family.
I love being solo!!

I think it is important to realize that there may be a difference between those who purposely choose solo travel and those who do it because it is travel solo or not travel at all. Each of us have different personalities and needs. One person’s sense of freedom can be a sense of isolation instead for a highly social person.

Everyone isn’t going to view solo travel the same. It took me 5 years after my husband died to be ready to try a week long solo trip in Europe. I’m here now and I am enjoying myself. Will this become my preferred way to travel? Probably not. I much prefer the company of my sister or a tour group. I get enjoyment out of travel experiences while solo, but I confess shared experiences are more fun for me. I come back to the hotel room at the end of the day and write a long email to get that sense of sharing with someone else.

If you want to travel solo as a woman there is no reason not to do so. It can be a positive experience. But don’t feel pressured to do so if it really isn’t a match for you.

Carol, thanks for the gentle reminder that some do it by necessity rather than by choice....and to add that it doesn't suit everyone - even by necessity. I do think everyone should at least give it a try to find out for themselves. It doesn't have to be an expensive trip across the world. You can learn the skills to do a trip, and how you like or dislike it, but just a city away.

Angelina, it was my thread you are referring to and thank you for sharing your advice and taking the time to start a new topic. I really hope others have benefitted from all the incredible suggestions and encouragement.
I know I've been blown away from the responses from total strangers.
One morning I was just irritated so I threw it out there on how to deal with the uneasiness some feel while traveling solo.. especially way out of my comfort zone.

After the responses, I started looking at trains to NYC or Boston, I've not been to either to just push myself a bit .. but I had a hold on cowgirl moment... how about dipping the toe into going to DC, at least I would be home for dinner.

I know it's not ideal all the time but I've come to realize I'm looking forward to this adventure and going to put into practice quite a few of the suggestions this week!!

Thanks again - you guys are definitely one of a kind forum..